Double jaw wrench



H. A., MEAD I 2,028,406

DOUBLE JAW WRENCH Jan. 21, 1936.

Filed Jan. 16, 1935 H LMe aaL Q .82.)

ATTORNEY INVENTOR Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES DOUBLE JAW lVRENQH Homer A. Mead, Turlock, Calif., assignor to Masterench Corporation, Turlock, Calif., a corporation Application January 16, 1935, Serial No. 2,019

1 Claim.

This invention relates to wrenches of the swing ing jaw type such as are shown in my Patents Nos. 1,735,257 and 1,885,616, and particularly represents improvements over the structure of the latter patent.

My main object is to provide a wrench of this character having separate work engaging faces in the swinging jaw which are spaced different distances from the pivot of the jaw so as to take nuts, etc., of many different sizes, and a single curved work engaging face on the fixed jaw; the different faces of the two jaws being arranged relative to each other so that regardless of the position of the swinging jaw and its face relative to the fixed jaw and its face, and nut etc., large or small will'be squarely engaged between the.

corresponding opposed faces, or so that one face of a nut will rest flatly against the face of the swinging jaw while the opposed face of the nut is centrally tangent to the curved face of the fixed jaw. By means of this structure not only may the wrench be used for a great number of different sized nuts, etc. (without any excessive size or are of swing of the movable jaw being necessary) but all such nuts will be properly held against any tendency to slip from holding relation, with the jaws.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the-following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved wrench showing the swinging jaw in different positions'when engaged'with relatively large nuts of different sizes.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the swinging jaw in various positions when engaged with relatively small nuts of varying sizes.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the wrench comprises a handle and shank portion I having on one end a curved fixed jaw 2 provided along one side with a curved row of ratchet teeth 3,

facing toward the upper end of the jaw. Although i in the main this curved row follows an arc struck from a center C, the initial portion of the curve at the upper end of the jaw is of greater radius than'the remainder; the centers of the two axes of curvature however lying in a common radial line.

Pivoted at P onthe neck 4 of the shank just below the fixed jaw is the swinging jaw 5. This isnormally held in a relatively closed position by a spring 6 which in the present case is shown as being arranged as in my Patent No. 1,735,257 above mentioned. Formed on the swinging jaw toward its outer end and on the side facing the fixed jaw is a fiat work engaging ratchet toothed face 1; while another similar face 8 is also formed on the swinging jaw intermediate the face I and the pivot P. The face 8 however is positioned so as to be always closer to the curved face 3 of the fixed jaw than is the face i, and is disposed in a plane at an obtuse angle to that of the face i in such a manner that the planes of the faces I and 8 intersect each other practically at the inner end of face 1.

With any position of the swinging jaw therefore smaller nuts may be held between the faces 8 and 3 than between the faces 1 and 3. Thefaces 1 and 8 are set so as to be substantially tangent in all positions to circles of different sizes projected from the point C as a center.

From the above description therefore it will be seen thata series of small nuts or like parts of different sizes may be efficiently held between the faces 8 and 3 with any setting of the swinging jaw and without any tendency of the nuts to slip from place. Likewise a series of relatively large nuts of different sizes may be efficiently heldbetween the faces I and 3 with any setting of the swinging jaw and without any tendency of such nuts to slip. This is because, as indicated on the drawing, with any such position of the swinging jaw, a nut is not only freely engaged on one side by the corresponding face of the swinging jaw,v but on its opposite side is centrally engaged by the teeth 3 of the fixed jaw.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in' practice such deviations from such detail maybe resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new ancluseful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A wrench comprising a shank having a curved gripping surface on one end, said surfacebeing formed of a pair of arcs of different radii whose centers lie on a. common radial line, a swinging jaw pivoted on the shank and separate spaced gripping faces on said movable jaw to cooperate with the gripping surface, the planes of said faces being disposed at an obtuse angle to each other and at different distances from the gripping surface; the centers of curvature of said surface being so located that with the swinging of the movable jaw to any position, both said faces will be substantially tangent at points intermediate their ends to circles projected from the center of curvature of the corresponding portion of said gripping surface.

HOMER A. MEAD. 

